Latch mechanism



May 25, 1943.

w. a DEYEREAUX LATCH VMECHANISM Oxfiginal Filed Jan. 2:5. 19:59

'FIG.3.

' INVENTOR WILLIAM C. DEVEREAUX ATTO Patented May 25, 1943 LATCH MECHANISM William C. Devereaux, Detroit, Mich.

Original application January 23, 1939, Serial No. 252,478. Divided and this application July 14, 1941, Serial No. 402,339

Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in keeper constructions for latch mechanism and is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 252,478, filed January 23, 1939, which has become Patent No. 2,274,362, dated February 24, 1942.

It is one of the. principal objects of this invention to provide a latch keeper composed of a rel atively few simple parts capable of being inexpensively manufactured and installed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a keeper having a housing provided with a wall cooperating with a latch bolt to secure a door or closure in its closed position and having a safety catch supported in the housing in a mannor to cooperate with the latch bolt to hold the closure in a partially closed position.

A further object of this invention is to provide akeeper construction wherein the safety catch is slidably supported in the keeper housing for movement by the bolt to its retracted position. In accordance with this invention, the safety catch is yieldably held in its extended or operative position by means of a spring which is somewhat lighter than the spring acting on the bolt and, as a result, the safety catch is readily retracted by the bolt even though the closing force applied to the closure is relatively small.

The foregoing, as well as other objects, will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a keeper constructed in accordance with this invention and also showing a latch bolt in cooperative relation to the keeper;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the latch mechanism employed for operating the latch bolt;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manner in which the latch bolt coopererates with the keeper to hold the closure or door in a partially closed position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manner in which the keeper cooperates with the latch bolt to hold the closure or door in its fully closed position;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through the latch bolt operating mechanism.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing,

it will be noted that there is illustrated in Figure 1 a portion of a vehicle body door Ill mounted in the usual manner for swinging movement relative to the frame structure surrounding the door opening and including a jamb, designated generally in the drawing by the reference character I I. The swinging edge of the door to is latched and supported on the jamb I I by means of latch mechanism |2 having a supporting plate l3 suitably secured to the swinging edge portion of the door |0 by means of the fastener elements M. The supporting plate I3 is shown in the several figures of the drawing as comprising angularly disposed portions I5 and IS. The portion I5 of the plate is arranged in a plane parallel to the plane of the swinging edge face of the door I0 and the portion I6 is positioned in overlapping relation with the inboard side of the door Hi.

In addition, the latch mechanism I2 is provided with a bolt I! mounted on the portion I5 of the latch plate I3 for sliding movement in opposite directions in a plane parallel to the plane of the portion l5 of the latch plate and along a path inclined with respect to the vertical. The bolt cooperates with a keeper IS on the door jamb I to effectively latch the door in both partially closed and fully closed positions. In the present instance, the keeper l8 comprises a housing preferably formed of a sheet metal stamping and secured to the door jarnb II in a position to cooperate with the upper end of the lat-ch bolts II. v

Upon reference to Figures 3 and 4, it will be noted that-the upper end of the bolt I1 is provided with a V-shaped nose l9 having substantially fiat side surfaces 20 and 2| respectively facing the outboard and inboard sides of the door. The surface 20 is substantially parallel to the path of sliding movement of the bolt II and the surface 2| extends transversely of this path of travel.

The keeper housing is provided with a vshaped projection 22 on the bottom wall thereof and is located on the jamb II in a position to be engaged by the V-shaped nose l9 .on the bolt when the door is swung to its closed position. The V-shaped projection 22 is shown in Figures 3 and 4. as having substantially flat surfaces 23 and 24, respectively, engaged by the surfaces 2| and 20 on the V-shaped nose l9 of the bolt as the door is swung to its closed position. In this connection, it will be observed that the surface 23 on the V-shaped projection of the keeper is inclined and engages the surface 2| on the bolt to cam the bolt to its retracted position during the final closing movement of the door. The

surface 24 of the V-shaped projection 22 on the keeper is parallel with the surface 20' on the bolt and is adapted to be engaged by the latter surface when the door is in its fully closed position to latch the same in this position. As will be more fully hereinafter set forth, the bolt is moved by a spring 25, shown in Figure 5, to its extended position illustrated in Figure 4 as soon as the surface 2! on the bolt is released from the cam surface 23 on the keeper l8.

It will be noted from Figures 3 and 4 that the keeper housing has a substantially flat horizontal top wall 26 which cooperates with a dovetail 2'! projecting from the swinging edge face of the door above the bolt to insure proper engagement of the bolt with the keeper. The dovetail 2'! is also in the form of a sheet metal stamping projecting through a correspondingly shaped slot formed in the portion I of the lock plate I3 and secured to the inner side of this portion. It will be observed from several figures of the drawing that the bottom surface of the dovetail is fashioned with an upwardly inclined cam surface 28 adapted to engage the outboard edge of the keeper housing and exert a lifting action on the swinging edge of the door to insure proper positioning of the parts in the closed position of the door.

Referring again to Figures 3 and 4, it will be noted that a safety catch 29 is mounted in the keeper housing for sliding movement transversely of the door jamb and is normally urged in a direction toward the outboard side of the door jamb by means of a coil spring 33 positioned between the inboard side of the safety catch and z;-

the opposite wall ofthe keeper !8. The catch 29 is shown as having a depending substantially V-shaped portion 35 projecting downwardly through a slot 32 formed in the outboard side 23 of the-V-shaped portion 22 on the keeper hous- K ing. The slot 32 is elongated in a direction extending transversely of the door jamb, or in the direction of the action of the spring 36 and, of course, possesses suflicient width to freely receive the V-shaped projecting portion 31 on the safety catch. The safety catch 29 is normally maintained by the spring 35) in a position wherein the outboard end abuts the adjacent end wall of the keeper housing and, when in this position, the V-shaped projecting portion 3i through the slot 32 into the path of travel of the V-shaped nose l9 on the bolt IT. The spring 36 is of less strength than the spring 25 so that as the door is swung to its closed position, the

surface 2! on the nose is of the bolt abuts the T.

outboard surface 33 on the catch 29. and moves the catch 26 against the action of the spring 36 in a direction toward the inboard side of the door jamb ll Movement of the safety catch 29 in the above direction by the bolt continues until the inclined surface. 33 on the catch assumes a positionfiush with the surface 23 on the keeper l8. As the closing movement of the door is continued, thebolt I1 is retracted by engagement of the surface 23 on the keeper housing with the surface 2| on the bolt and when the swinging edge face of' the door assumes the position thereof shown in Figure B" relative to the jamb I I, the safety catch is returned to its normal position by the spring 33 wherein the inboard surface 34 of the V-sh'aped projection '3'! assumes a position in overlappeing relation with the outboard surface 'on theV-shaped nose I9 of the bolt. The surface 34 on the'safety catch is parallel to the surface 26 on thebolt' and, as shown in Figextends ure 3, acts as an abutment for the bolt to latch the door in a partially closed position. Of course, continued movement of the door to its fully closed position initially further retracts the bolt H and finally permits the bolt I! to assume the position thereof shown in Figure 4 wherein, as stated above, the door is securely latched in its fully closed position.

It has previously been stated that the bolt :1 is slidably supported on the portion l5 of the latch plate l3. In this connection, it will be noted from Figures 2 and 5 that the portion l5 of the lock plate is provided with a slot or opening .75 therethrough elongated in the direction of reciprocation of the bolt and having sufficient width to slidably receive a projection 36 on the bolt. The opposite longitudinally extending sides of the slot 35 are provided with flanges 31 having a width approximating the width of the projection 36 to provide an adequate bearing support for the bolt. It will also be observed from the several figures that the bolt is also supported in a housing 38 suitably secured to the exterior side of the portion l5 of the latch plate The housing 36 is elongated in the direction of sliding movement of the bolt and the upper portion is cut away to expose the nose IQ of the bolt. The housing 36 is of sufficient length to provide for the necessary travel of the bolt I! and the spring is located in the housing. As shown particularly in Figure 5, one endof the spring extends into a recess 39 in the end of the bolt facing the outboard side of the door, and the opposite end of the spring is positioned on a projection 49 struck from the adjacent end of the housing 33.

It will be noted from the above that the spring 25 normally urges the bolt to a position wherein the end of the projection 35, facing the inboard side of the door, engages the adjacentend wall of the slot to limit the extent of projection of the bolt. As indicated above, however, the keepor I8 is so mounted on the door jamb II that when the door is in its fully closed position, shown in Figure 4, the projection 36 is spaced a slight distance from the end wall aforesaid of the slot so as to provide sufli'cient clearance for any take up that may be necessary to effectively hold the door in its closed position.

Bolt retracting mechanism Upon reference to Figure 2, it will be noted that provision is made for retracting the bolt from the outboard side of the door by means of the operating handle 4! and from the inboard side of the door by means of the link 83. In detail, 9. bolt retracting member 43 is pivoted, as at 4 3, to the-inner side of the portion ii of the latch plate 3 for swinging movement in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the swinging edge face of the door. The bolt retracting member 43 is provided with an opening 45 therethrough adjacent the swinging end thereof for receiving a pin 46 extending inwardly from the projection 36 on the bolt, and this opening is elongated radially with respect to the pivot 44 so as to avoid binding of the parts when the bolt retracting member 43 is swung in the direction of the arrow 41 in Figure 2; It will, of course, be understood from the latter figure that movement of the member 43 in the direction of the arrow 41 about its pivot 24 retracts the bolt 36 against the action of'the springZS.

The bolt retracting member'43 is swung about its pivot 44 by means of. a yoke 48 mounted upon the inner surface of the portion l6 of the latch plate l3 for swinging movementabout a pivot 49 engaging the yoke at a point between the inner and outer edges thereof. The outer edge of the yoke, adjacent the portion l5 of the latch plate I3, is shown in Figure 2 as having a lateral projection 58 extending into a slot 5| formed in the swinging edge of the bolt retracting member 43 at a point spaced above the opening 45. The arrangement is such that swinging movement of the yoke 48 about the pivot 49 in the direction of the arrow 52. in Figure 2 causes the member 43 to swing in the direction of the arrow 41 and to retract the bolt Swinging movement of the yoke 48 in the direction of the arrow 52 is resisted by means of a spiral spring 53 having one end anchored to the portion l6 of the latch plate in any suitable manner and having the opposite end 54 abutting a lateral projection 55 formed on the yoke 48 at a point directly below the'pivot 49.

The yoke 48 is swung about the pivot 49 in the direction of the arrow 52 against the action of the spring 53 by means of a rollback or cam 58 rotatably mounted on the inner side of the portion l8 of the latch plate l3 and having a hub 51 extending through an opening in the portion l6 of the latch plate. The hub 51 is provided with a polygonal or rectangularly shaped opening 58 therethrough for slidably receiving a correspondingly shaped shank 59 secured to the operating handle 4|. As a result, rocking movement of the operating handle 4| affects a corresponding rocking movement Of the rollback 58 and, in the present instance, provision is made for swinging the yoke 48 in the direction of the arrow 52 when the rollback 58 is rocked in the direction of the arrow 68 in Figure 2, by the operating handle 4|. In detail, the rollback 56 is shown in Figure 2 as having a laterally projecting portion 6| adapted to abut a rubber or non-metallic buffer 63, carried by a lateral projection 84 on the yoke 48. The projection 64 is arranged on the yoke 48 at a point spaced above the pivot 49 so that as the projection 6| on the rollback engages the buffer 83; the yoke 48 is rocked in the direction of the arrow 52 to retract the bolt through the member 43.

As pointed out above, the bolt I8 may also be retracted from the inboard side of the door and, for accomplishing this result, an arm 88 is pivoted at its upper end to the pin 49 adjacent the yoke 48 for swinging movement relative to the yoke. The lower end of the arm is shown in Figure 2 as having an extension 8| operatively connected to a suitable handle (not shown) through the medium of a link 83 in a manner such that when the link is moved in the direction of the arrow 83, the arm 88 is rocked in the direction of the arrow A about the pin 49. This rocking movement of the arm 88 is transferred to the yoke 48 by means of a lug 84 extending laterally from the rear edge of the arm beneath the corresponding end of the yoke 48. It follows, therefore; that movement of the arm88 in the direction of the arrow A causes the lug 84 to abut the underside of the yoke 48 at the inner end of the latter and rock the same about the pivot 49 in the direction of the arrow 52. As stated above, rocking movement of the yoke 48 in the direction of the arrow 52 retracts the bolt I! through the member 43. In this connection, it will be noted that the projection 64, carrying the rubber buffer 63 on the yoke, is moved away from the roll back during this operation and, therefore, does not interfere with the rollback. It will also be noted t Figure 2 of the drawing.

that the operating lug 84 on the arm 88 is so positioned with respect to the yoke 48 that the yoke may be operated by the rollback 58 from the outside of the door without interfering with the arm 88.

Referring again to Figure 2 of the drawing, it will be noted that a slide 88 is mounted on the inner surface of the portion l6 of the latch plate l3 for sliding vertical movement relative to the latch plate and is provided with a tapered cam surface 89 at the upper end for engagement with a correspondingly tapered edge portion 98 on the rollback 58 to prevent retracting the bolt I! by manipulation of the outside door handle 4|. The slide 88 is moved to its raised position by a suitable key operated cam mechanism (not shown herein).

The bolt I! may also be locked against retracting movement from the inner side of the door by merely depressing the rod 9|. In detail, it will be noted from Figure 2v that the inside door looking mechanism comprises a cam 93 supported on the inner surface of the portion l6 of the latch plate by means of a pin 94 for swinging movement in the plane of the arm 88.and having an opening 95 therethrough adjacent the swingin edge thereof for receiving the lower end portion of the rod 9|. The above arrangement is such that movement of the push rod 9| downwardly swings the member 93 about the pivot 94 from the position shown in Figure 2 to a position wherein the swinging edge of the member 93 abuts a projection 98 extending upwardly from the upper end of the arm 88. The projection 98 is located inwardly with respect to the pivot 49 for the arm 88 and, as a result, prevents swinging movement of the arm 88 by manipulation of the link 83.

It will also be noted from Figure 2 that a knockout cam 91 is mounted on the pivot 94 between the locking cam 93 and the inner surface of the portion N5 of the latch plate. The knockout cam 91 moves as a unit with the looking cam 93 in the same plane as the yoke 48 and is provided with an opening in alignment with the opening 95 to also receive the lower end of the push rod. Inasmuch as the knockout cam 91 moves as a unit with the locking cam 93, it follows that downward movement of the push rod 9| also effects a swinging movement of the knockout cam 91 from the position shown in Figure 2 to a position wherein the portion 98 of the cam is located directly in the path of the arm 18 on the rollback so as to prevent retraction of the bolt by the operating handle 4|.

The knockout'cam is provided with a shoulder 99 adapted to abut the inner side of a projection I88 formed on the yoke 48. The arrangement is such that if the several parts of the latch mecha-. nism are located in their locked positions and the door is swung to its closed position, both the locking cam 93 and knockout cam 91 are swung to their inoperative positions by the yoke 48 as it is swung in the direction of the arrow 52 in Thus, it is impossible for anyone to lock themselves out of the vehicle by inadvertently pressing the rod 9| before the door is closed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A keeper for a door latch having a latch bolt mounted on the swinging edge of a door, said keeper comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on supporting structure adjacent the swinging edge of the door and having opposed walls, one wall extending substantially parallel to the'direction of swinging movement of the swinging edge of the door and the opposite wall having an inclined bolt retracting surface engageable with the latching end of the bolt to retract the latter, a safety catch mounted in the housing for sliding movement along the said one wall of the housing and having a portion projecting through the inclined bolt retracting surface of the keeper, said projecting portion adapted to be engaged by the bolt as the door is swung toward its closed position to thereby move the safety catch in a direction toward the inboard side of the supporting structure and being releasable from engagement with the bolt when the closure is in its partially closed position, and means effective upon release of the safety catch by the bolt to return said safety catch to a position wherein the projecting portion aforesaid thereof extends beyond the inclined bolt retractmovement of the swinging edge of the door and the opposite wall having diverging portions forming a V-shaped projection, a safety catch mounted in the housing for sliding movement in opposite directions along the said one Wall of the housing and having diverging walls forming L5 a'V-shaped projection adapted to extend through a slot in the outboard diverging portion of the projection on the keeper, the outboard wall of the projection on the safety catch being engagea'ble by'the bolt as the door is swung toward its closed position to effect sliding movement of the safety catch along the said one wall of the keeper housing in an inboard direction and being releasable from engagement with the bolt when the door is in a partially closed position, and means effective upon release of the safety catch by the bolt to return the safety catch to a position wherein the inboard diverging wall of the projection on the safety catch forms an abutment for engagement with the outboard side of the latching endof the bolt to latch the door in a partially closed position.

3. A keeper. for a door latch having a bolt, said keeper comprising a housing attachable to supporting structure adjacent the swinging edge of the door and having opposed walls, one wall extending in the general direction of swinging movement of the swinging edge of the door and the opposite wall having diverging portions forming a V-shaped projection, a safety catch mounted in the housing for sliding movement along the said one wall of the housing and having a portion adapted to project through the outboard diverging portion of the projection on the keeper for engagement with the latch bolt to effect movement of the safety catch along the said one wall of the housing in an inboard direction, spring means located in the housing and acting on the safety catch to return the safety catch to its outboard position in the housing when the projecting portion of the safety catch is released by the bolt, and a bolt retaining surface on the projecting portion of the safety catch engageable with the bolt to latch the door in a partially closed position.

4. A keeper for a door latch having a latch bolt mounted on the swinging edge of the door, said keeper comprising a sheet metal housing attachable to supporting structure adjacent the swinging edge of the door and having opposed walls, one wall extending in the general direction of swinging movement of the swinging edge of the door and the opposite wall having diverging portions respectively forming bolt retracting and bolt retaining surfaces, a safety catch mounted in the housing for sliding movement along the said one wall of the housing and having a portion adapted to project through a slot in the bolt retracting portion of the housing, said projecting portion of the safety catch being engageable by the bolt as the door is swung toward its closed position to move the safety catch in a direction on the safety catch to move the latter in an outboard direction upon release of the safety catch by the bolt, and a bolt retaining surface on the safety catch forming an abutment engageable with the bolt to latch the door in a partially closed position.

5. A keeper for a door latch having a latch bolt mounted on the swinging edge face of the door for sliding movement in a plane parallel to the swinging edge face of the door and in a direction extending generally transversely of the swinging edge face of the door, said keeper comprising a housing attachable to supporting structure adjacent the swinging edge face of the door and having opposed walls, one wall extending in the general direction of swinging movement of the swinging edge face of the door and the opposite wall having diverging portions respectively forming a bolt retaining surface extending in the general direction of sliding movement of the bolt and a bolt retracting surface extending transversely to the direction of movement of the sliding bolt, a safety catch mounted in the hous ing for sliding movement along the said one wall of the housing and having a portion adapted to project through a slot in the bolt retracting surface of the keeper and engageable with the bolt as the door is swung toward its closed position to move the safety catch in an inboard direction, spring means located in the housing and acting on the safety catch to return the safety catch to its outboard position in the housing when the projecting portion of the safety catch is released by the bolt, and a bolt retaining surface on the projecting portion of the safety catch extending in the general direction of sliding movement of the bolt and forming an abutment for engagement with the bolt to latch the door in a partially closed position.

.WILLIAM C'. DEVEREAUX. 

